McCaw the master
17 Oct 2011
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day newspaper column, says Richie McCaw has earned the right to lift the Webb Ellis Cup.
McCaw was asked, 48 hours before the World Cup semi-final against Australia, who the better player was: ‘David Pocock or yourself?’
McCaw said: ‘We’ll see after 80 minutes on Sunday.’
There was no sarcasm in his answer. It was the confirmation of the challenge of a (younger) player who has been the form opensider of the World Cup tournament.
Pocock was immense against SA, legally or illegally.
All brilliant opensiders operate on the fine line of public opinion and referee interpretation. McCaw has been the master for the last decade. Australia’s George Smith was brilliant and, if his knees last, Heinrich Brüssow will make a similar impression.
Former Bok captain Corne Krige was often quoted as saying the Test played within a Test between two specialist opensiders is far removed from anything the public sees on TV or at the ground. McCaw versus Pocock was huge. This was the grand master against the next generation of specialist ball-winning scavenger. At least it was sold as such in the week.
But that would be too simple.
As All Blacks coach Graham Henry pointed out: an opensider will always be the beneficiary of how good the loose trio is and also the dominance of his tight five. In this regard it wasn’t McCaw versus Pocock, it was the All Blacks versus the Wallabies and the result was more emphatic than a handbag grab-and-run. This was a full-on assault; a legal beating in which the All Blacks smashed the Wallabies in the collision and at the gainline.
I hate the term ‘the modern game’, so I’ll refer to it as the game played in 2011 where there is so much influence in referee interpretation and not always that much faith in the principle and application of the law.
What is not about interpretation, however, is who wins the gainline battle. That is where the game has become so much like rugby league. Win the physical dominance of who takes the ball in, and who makes that one metre in the tackle, and you have momentum that is so unlike the game of 10 years ago.
Back then it was about creating mismatches and having a fullback run at a prop. It was about more numbers on attack, and the laws at the breakdown forced a fight for the ball that ensured teams committed numbers to the breakdown.
Not any more.
The game played in 2011 allows teams to have rugby- league type defence. Mismatches are rare because most props look like centres and some even have more skill.
This was a game won with gain-line dominance. The Boks’ game (against Australia in the quarterfinal) was a game lost in that area.
Lineout statistics, field position and possession dominance have little bearing if the gainline collisions are lost.
Wales will attest to that. Sure, they were heroic and magnificent in playing 14 against 15 in a World Cup semi-final for 63 minutes but when you go 25 phases with the ball, don’t break a tackle, and can’t get an extra metre, then the credit has to go to the men dominating the collisions. France did that, even though they showed no such enthusiasm with the ball.
The All Blacks were so different in class and in ambition. Their defence was matched by an opening 20 minutes as good as you will see in a World Cup semi-final.
The All Blacks were brutal at every collision, and McCaw was either first with the tackle or the first man in support. He was colossal. I’ve tried, but there isn’t a superlative to do his performance justice. He has been functioning on desire, ambition and one leg at this tournament. The foot injury that kept him out of most of Super Rugby will require a further operation after the final. He has been imposing as a leader and as an ambassador for the game.
I often say we begrudge New Zealand more than we dislike McCaw because he isn’t one of ours. This is a guy who has won 90 of his 102 Tests, and 45 of them have been against Australia and SA . You had to be at Eden Park to appreciate his contribution fully.
Likewise his humility a minute from full time. To understand that one must remember the taunt directed at McCaw in the 2003 World Cup semi-final by Wallabies scrumhalf George Gregan as the All Blacks turned over the ball with a minute to go and the game lost. ‘Four more years,’ said Gregan.
With a minute to go at Eden Park on Sunday evening, referee Craig Joubert called a scrum, the crowd counted down the minute and the big screen focused on a McCaw and Wallabies scrumhalf Will Genia.
The New Zealand crowd chanted: ‘Four more years … four more years …’
‘What did he (Genia) say to you?’ asked a journalist at the press conference. ‘He said well done and I said thanks.’
No taunts of ‘four more years’.
‘It’s important we enjoy the win, get our feet back on the ground and respect the challenge of the French,’ added McCaw, whose most famous quote at this World Cup has been: ‘Every player has a World Cup moment … I’ve had two.’
New Zealand deserves this World Cup win and Richie McCaw deserves the appropriate World Cup moment.
He has earned it.
620 Comments
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17 Oct 2011, 09:51 am
Broken Foot Dragon
Good player
17 Oct 2011, 09:54 am
WARNING: This article may cause drowzzzzzz…..
17 Oct 2011, 09:55 am
great player, captain and person…
17 Oct 2011, 09:57 am
@ufo(ufo)-3:
I’ve never met him.
What’s he like?
17 Oct 2011, 10:01 am
Congrats Keo. You’ve called the knock-out stages correctly thus far. Good on you! After a poor showing in the pool stages you finally hit your straps.
But like you said last week, if you expect the French to lose… it won’t go well for you.
Point is: If you bet on the French this week, chances are there you’ll make a lot of dough! (With Kiwis being the outright favourites with the bookies.)
17 Oct 2011, 10:08 am
A giant of the game. Those of us fortunate to have seen him play will remember him in our dotage, along with other giants like Danie Gerber, Wiilie-John McBride, Gareth Edwards, Hugo Porta, John Eales, Frik du Preez and JPR Williams.
17 Oct 2011, 10:10 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-6: Tell Cane your thoughts that Frik is a giant of the game. He seems to disagree, maybe he never saw Frik play
Was he really that good?
17 Oct 2011, 10:10 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-6:
Wazzup
Aren’t you already in your dotage?
17 Oct 2011, 10:13 am
@JL1(JL1)-7: Frik matched Colin Meads. That says it all.
17 Oct 2011, 10:15 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-8:
indeed he is.
still in great nick for his age.
he has a pooo every morning at 6 o’clock regular as clockwork.
unfortunately he only wakes up at seven.
17 Oct 2011, 10:16 am
@Gunther(gunther)-4:
hehehe… IMO… which… last time i checked is perhaps the only thing i am definitely still entitled to…
but i observe people…
how he conducts himself in interviews and doccies and on the field is always with dignity and humility… and haven’t ever seen him do anything that would suggest otherwise…
have you?
17 Oct 2011, 10:16 am
I’m sure Richie is the nicest guy out there, but all this shmultzy adulation amongst media and fans has caused a bit of a resentment backlash. When everyone speaks about him like they have some kind of teenage crush, then it paints a picture of someone who can do no wrong. And let’s face it, reffing is part observation and part preconceived perception.
So we end up with three rules of rugby: The Bakkies rule, the Richie rule and the supposedly universal IRB rule.
This Knight in shining black armour act has gotten up my nose, that’s for sure.
17 Oct 2011, 10:18 am
@Gunther(gunther)-10:
Don’t be nasty!
Tackler’s ramrod spine is slowly loosening up.
This is a slow process.
17 Oct 2011, 10:18 am
@Gunther(gunther)-10: I can tell from the number of o’s you used that it’s a hefty stool too.
17 Oct 2011, 10:19 am
@ufo(ufo)-11:
calm down amigo
I thought you’d met the great man.
I’m sure he’s a beaut.
17 Oct 2011, 10:20 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-9: It sure does
Cane calls Frik a pr*ck, UNCALLED for
17 Oct 2011, 10:20 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-12:
sheesh… who shoved a hair up y’***…?
nothing wrong with acknowledging greatness in others… not a strong saffa trait i know… we like to tear people down and to pieces…
but there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging the achievements of others…
17 Oct 2011, 10:21 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-14:
Indeed. I thought I needed the extra o to ease it through the censor’s sphincter.
17 Oct 2011, 10:23 am
@Gunther(gunther)-15:
no… never met him…
17 Oct 2011, 10:25 am
Met him. A gentleman as well as a great player.
17 Oct 2011, 10:29 am
@ufo(ufo)-19:
Don’t worry.
I’m sure Blackie has.
He’ll be along shortly to tell us what he’s like.
17 Oct 2011, 10:32 am
@Gunther(gunther)-21:
if only he’d be along shortly…
but chances are blackpantaloon will be on here for a looong time saying the same things over n over…
17 Oct 2011, 10:33 am
@Gunther(gunther)-21:
17 Oct 2011, 10:34 am
aussies wiping the pooo from their eyes at last.
Wallaby great Mark Ella doubts the Australian Rugby Union will delve too deeply into Deans’ role in the Wallabies’ demise.
That’s despite yet another failure at the hands of the All Blacks.
“I think we’ve played them under Robbie Deans 15 or 16 times and won twice so you’ve got to think there is something wrong on the field and something wrong off the field,” Ella declared.
“It’s okay if we go down fighting but when we’re bad against New Zealand, we are terrible.”
“We’re not even in the game which is discouraging for all of us.”
“The ARU will protect Robbie and make all the excuses but nothing much will change.”
“It’s like a Cricket Australia review … a lot of words but not much action.”
17 Oct 2011, 10:36 am
As a Bok supporter I hate to say this, but you have to give this guy and the ABs all the credit they deserve.
Their record under Richie as captain is just phenomenal and I hope they lift the trophy this time around. They really deserve it as they were the best team in this tournament. It’s just a pity we didn’t get to play them. I think we would’ve lost to them anyway.
I would hate to see them fall short again, especially against this poor French team, who already lost twice in the tournament.
Good luck Richie and the ABs.
Now let me go throw up…
17 Oct 2011, 10:40 am
after three world cup attempts (for him personally and perhaps the same or at least two for the others) AND having home ground advantage AND very blatant ‘biased’ refereeing….i would hope he comes away the title of master finally…
17 Oct 2011, 10:42 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-24:
Dingo is a quota neh?
17 Oct 2011, 10:44 am
Sounds like the article was written by a Kiwi. I nearly threw up in my mouth.
Brussouw and Bismark are worold class pilferers of the ball and ANY team would want them in their squads…..but as South Africans we can’t even recognise or support our own boys.
In retrospect and if duh Villiers had not been the Bok coach, it would have been Bismark for the full 80 minutes competing with Pocock for the ball….with a proper ref in charge…and on Sunday this article would have been about how brilliant our own player was.
17 Oct 2011, 10:50 am
@JL1(JL1)-16: I can’t — and won’t — be held responsible for things other people say.
17 Oct 2011, 10:52 am
Off the topic, I hear Wp have signed Habana on a 3 year contract. Bwhaaaa.
So they don’t contract Sadie but contract Habana instead. LMAO.
17 Oct 2011, 10:52 am
Keo is always over the top.
First he was over the top in his support of Australia as it was apparently “Their World Cup to lose”. Now he is over the top in praising NZ and their Yoda-like leader.
Fact is, Australia were never in with a chance. They lost to Ireland, and should have lost to the Boks, and they almost never beat NZ in NZ. Why would this time be different?
Now that Australia have been exposed as the pretenders they are, he is over-compensating with his liberal praise of the Kiwis.
Fact is, NZ were always gonna beat Australia in NZ.
17 Oct 2011, 10:54 am
@Gunther(gunther)-27:
no, i think he’s a manchurian candidate.
they’ve been placing them in our/othe peoples structures for ages now.
at critical momets they are activated to cause disruptions to their adopted teams.
yeah thats right…..i’m a conspiracy theorist and i trust nothing…and no one…
17 Oct 2011, 10:54 am
@Sonito(Sonito)-30:
Yeeesss!
17 Oct 2011, 10:56 am
An education and all the money in the world still does not guarantee that one will be graced with class or decency.
Our own Down Syndrome blogger skopskyt is proof of that.
17 Oct 2011, 10:57 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-28:
Do you honestly think we would’ve been able to win the ABs yesterday?
We have fantastic players and hopefully with the right coaching, we can reach the heights that we know we are capable of. It would’ve been an injustice, more so than the refereeing in the QF, if we managed to pull of another WC title with all the **** happening behind the scenes in the Bok camp over the last 4 years.
17 Oct 2011, 10:57 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-28:
You totally miss the point of Pococks effect versus Bissie. Pocock was allowed to slow the ball down and having Bissie also contesting wouldn’t have changed that. It wasn’t turnovers that the Aussies enjoyed, just preventing quick ball.
17 Oct 2011, 10:58 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-29: Oh, I would never want you to stoop to that level
17 Oct 2011, 10:58 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-34:
I’m not sure what you are talking about.
Fuckadilly has neither of those.
17 Oct 2011, 11:00 am
@David(David)-36:
I maybe wrong but pocock alone managed five turnovers that I saw.
One of which resulted in a try.
17 Oct 2011, 11:00 am
So with about R3m tied up with old-legs Habana, that means they couldn’t keep Sadie and Engelbrecht? Priceless.
17 Oct 2011, 11:03 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-40:
Yip, Makes perfect business sense. Bwhaaa.
Luckily for WP, wingers regain their speed the older they get. haha
17 Oct 2011, 11:04 am
The look on David Pocock’s face when he got penalized for every offense on Sunday……………Bryceless!!
17 Oct 2011, 11:04 am
@Sonito(Sonito)-41:
Well, then they better hang on to Habana until he is REALLY old, cause he has a lot of regaining to do.
17 Oct 2011, 11:09 am
@Atreides(Atreides)-42:
good one hehehe
17 Oct 2011, 11:09 am
Thank you Frenchies for letting the Ab’s wear black!
France offer Kiwis their black strip
Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:20
France to face the Men in Black. (c) Getty
New Zealand will wear their first-choice all-black strip in Sunday’s World Cup Final despite losing the toss to France in Auckland on Monday.
Les Bleus team manager Jo Maso correctly called heads when the coin was flipped to decide first choice of jersey and changing room at Eden Park.
Maso could have chosen for France to wear their regular blue jersey and the All Blacks to play in their all-white strip but declined to do so.
“We decided to allow the All Blacks the choice to play in black. For us it is a sign of respect and a way for our team to thank New Zealanders for a remarkable World Cup,” said Maso.
The president of the French union Pierre Camou, head coach Marc Lièvremont, team management, and players all supported the decision.
Maso added: “It is an honour to play the All Blacks when they play in their black jerseys and it is logical with the World Cup final being held at Eden Park.”
France, who will play New Zealand in white for only the second time in a RWC match, hope Maso’s winning the coin toss will be a good omen.
He also won the toss prior to the RWC 2007 quarter-final match between the teams.
On that occasion, the All Blacks were forced to wear their alternative silver and black strip and lost the match 20-18. It is the only time Les Bleus have not faced a predominantly black New Zealand jersey in World Cup encounters.
Meanwhile, Australia will wear their traditional gold jersey and Wales their red one when they battle for bronze on Friday.
RNS
17 Oct 2011, 11:10 am
@Sonito(Sonito)-41:
things that age well
cheese
wine
front row forwards.
things that age badly.
socks
lettuce
wings
17 Oct 2011, 11:12 am
@Gunther(gunther)-39:
I didn’t count, but it was his constant ability to illegally prevent us from getting quick front foot ball that allowed the Aussie defence to regroup, not his odd turnovers.
17 Oct 2011, 11:16 am
@David(David)-47:
indeed.
but the turnover that led to the try was quite important no?
17 Oct 2011, 11:18 am
So what’s WP’s S15 team gonna look like next season?
How about:
Jantjes
Habana
Aplon
Fourie
De Villiers
Grant?
Duvenage
Koster
Burger
Some flank to replace Francois-Pocock’s b*tch-Louw
Bekker
Fondse
Brock the Rock
Tiaan Tomato face Liebenberg
Some prop
17 Oct 2011, 11:20 am
90 wins from 102 tests, that is unreal. Espicially when half of those wins have come against quality opposition (Boks and Aussie)
If he can captain the All Blacks too a WC victory this weekend he would have to go down as the greatest number 7 and captain ever.
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